Leadership and Work with KL Advisory Group

Welcome to the third article in our series for Liftoff, an annual event featuring thought leaders, pioneers, and rebels that are making the world of work better. In this series, we discuss the future of work and organizational culture with these leaders and dive deeper into the evolution of culture, communication and engagement in the workplace.

KL Advisory Group is dedicated to helping businesses in four key areas of financial services: Wealth Management, Insurance Planning, Group Benefits, and Financial/Estate Planning. KL Advisory Group partners with HR teams across Western Canada to provide each of their businesses and employees a customized benefit package. From implementing group retirement and health benefit plans, to creating key personnel compensation packages, KL Advisory Group focuses on facilitating each company in creating an efficient and attractive benefit model for current and prospective employees.

We spoke with KL Advisory Group about leadership, the qualities great leaders possess, and the role of technology in the future of work. Read on to learn more!

In what direction do you see the future of work going?

"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." – Charles Darwin

Work as we know it has changed and there’s a major shift occurring in the skill sets people require to stay relevant. Humans are superior at any work that requires creativity, interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence and it is those skills that will be sought after with Artificial Intelligence becoming more engrained in the future workplace. It is also our responsibility to ensure we adapt to technological changes and ensure we are continuously training ourselves to new trends in a fast-paced digital world.

What’s the most important quality or qualities you believe a leader should possess when it comes to fostering a psychologically safe work culture?

Accountability – If your team members do well, give them Kudos! If they struggle, make them understand that no one is perfect and that we should work together to improve. Productivity is at its highest when team members feel safe.

Empathy – Connecting with team members by understanding their problems and feeling their pain is one of the key attributes of a strong leader and shows that you care.

How do you embody your company’s values every day and encourage your teams to do the same?

It’s unrealistic to assume core values will be adopted simply by sending out an email or document. Spending time through formal training communicates that the core values matter and the company’s commitment to explaining how they originated and their significance.

What is your best piece of advice for those looking to improve their employee relationships?

Open Communication – Constant dialogue between team members is paramount. A great leader needs to be able to communicate the vision to the team members in order to achieve the goal, but also realize that the team members should provide feedback and their suggestions in order to achieve the highest results possible.

To learn more about KL Advisory Group, please visit their website or follow them on LinkedIn. Meet KL Advisory Group at Liftoff 2019 and purchase your ticket at https://www.liftoffcon.com/

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